Supporting files

Contents

Purpose Of Engagement

The availability of wholesome drinking water and the safe
disposal of wastewater are crucial to public health and a clean
environment. In Autumn 2014, we set out the improvements that
Scottish Water must deliver to services during the period 2015-21.
We also set how customers should pay for the water and wastewater
services provided in a Statement on the Principles of Charging for
Water Services
[3] issued on 1 October 2014.

In that statement we noted that from a date to be specified by
Ministers, the Rateable Values most recently assigned by the
Assessor must be used by the water industry to calculate surface
water drainage charges for non-household premises as well as water
and sewerage charges at non-household premises that are not
metered.

Non-household premises include all properties such as those that
are owned or leased by businesses and public sector or similar
organisations that are not classed as "dwellings" and for which
water and sewerage charges are collected by licensed water and
sewerage providers. Such properties may also be known as "eligible
premises" or "non-dwellings".

This paper invites customers and stakeholders to consider the
most appropriate way for the water industry to make this change -
in particular:

The date from which the most recent Rateable Values should be
used; and

The case for transition arrangements.

This paper is in 3 parts:

Part 1 provides the background. In particular it sets out the origins
of the current arrangements and presents an analysis of the
shortcomings;

The Government appreciates that businesses are responding to the
squeeze on household budgets and is therefore keen to ensure that
the costs of doing business are kept to a minimum. It is keen to
receive views and comments from:

Businesses;

Representative organisations;

Licensed Water and Sewerage providers; and

Water industry stakeholders.

Written comments on any aspect of the proposals should be
provided in the relevant sections of the respondent form at
Annex A. Should you wish to discuss these proposals with officials,
please indicate this in your response. The closing date for
responses is
23 September 2016. We would welcome early
responses.

Your responses will be used to inform decisions on the timing of
the move to use the most recent Rateable Values for the purposes of
calculating some water and sewerage charges and any transitional
arrangements.